"To our knowledge, there have been no comprehensive, large-scale studies on classes of fatty acid intake and PAD despite their strong associations with CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk factors and outcomes," they write in Atherosclerosis.

The team therefore examined the association between different fatty acids and the prevalence of PAD in a group of 6352 adults, aged 40 years or older, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004.

Systolic blood pressure was measured using participants' right arms and both ankles and ABI was then calculated.

Higher dietary intake of LNA was associated with a higher ABI and higher dietary SFA tended to be associated with lower ABI, after adjustment for multiple confounders. By contrast, no associations between MFA, N-6, and N-3 and ABI were observed.

Further analysis of SFA and LNA revealed that two SFAs, namely hexadecanoic acid (SFA16) and octadecanoic acid (SFA18), were associated with prevalence of PAD.

Each 1-standard deviation increment in SFA16 and SFA18 increased risk for PAD by 40% and 70%, respectively.

The team also evaluated fatty acid classes and gait speed as a consequence of PAD and found that higher SFA intake was significantly associated with reduced gait speed.

"Prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm the potential protective effects on dietary LNA and detrimental effects of SFA in PAD," concludes the team.